I am a terrible family archivist. Photos overflow from boxes. Albums seldom have more than two or three completed pages. Baby records were never kept. (Ok, perhaps the first two months of the first born!) Scrap-booking? Sadly, not for this Mama.
One year, hubby and I decided to splurge on a video camera. As with many electronic gadgets of the time, it was crazy expensive. We proceeded to film the clan. The tapes collected dust in the basement while the recording devices became obsolete. After much prodding from one of our daughters, I finally took them to the local TV studio to have them transferred to DVDs – just in time for Christmas viewing.
Last night, hubby and I poured some drinks, snuggled on the couch, and attended a private movie premiere. What fun! We laughed until we cried. We watched in wonder and awe at the sibling interactions. Scenes were recorded that we forgot about. There are great shots of the Moyer farm. Grandpa is proudly spinning the tires off his new swather in the middle of the family baseball field. Immediately following, we have scenes of Dziadzio flying his home-built aircraft. What fun grand-parents to have!
One of my favorite tapes is the Moyer production of Les Miz. While the dying Eponine sings her heart out, the (very) young Marius rolls his eyes and yawns. Epic!
Watching and listening to these five young souls fills me with overwhelming gratitude. What fun they were, and what a great sense of humor they had. How blessed are we to have always been surrounded by the love of family and friends. At the risk of sounding schmaltzy, it really is the greatest gift of all. OK, forget schmaltzy….it’s truth!
A friend forwarded this video to me this morning. It’s the story of Christmas as told by the children of St Paul’s Church, Auckland, New Zealand, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Another proof that the gift of Christmas is often best reflected through the eyes of children.
catholic dialogue 